


In search of the truth

by Kyarorain



Category: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-24 00:04:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21090047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyarorain/pseuds/Kyarorain
Summary: Cabanela and the professor's search for answers bring them to the house where that terrible tragedy took place.





	In search of the truth

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Fictober prompt "Overgrown".

This garden had seen better days. The grass was overgrown and covered in a tangle of weeds that had gone wild and devoured everything. Several vines were running up the walls of the house that sat at the center of it all. At the edge of this scene of utter desolation stood an old man in a lab coat, gazing sadly over the greenery and shaking his head. 

“What a sorry state of affairs.” The professor punctuated his statement with a heavy sigh. An answering coo came from the pigeon sitting upon his head. “I’m surprised that the neighbours aren’t rioting.” He turned around and shuffled over to where his companion stood at the entrance to the house. “That is the sorriest looking garden I’ve ever seen. How could it have come to this?” 

Cabanela spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "Jowd can't exactly tend to it from prison. I've had a gardener come by before, but I've been so busy lately, I just haven't had the tiiime to call them again." He smiled. “Not to worry though, when I get Jowd out of prison, I’ll have it fixed riiight up. That garden will be spick and span again.” 

The professor slowly shook his head. “I pity the poor gardener who has to tackle that mess. I really do.” 

“Is it really thaaat bad?” Cabanela sauntered over for a quick look at the garden. He came back, looking decidedly less sure of himself. “Okay. Maybe I left it a biiit too long. That stuff grows so fast though, I can’t keep up. This is why I don’t live with a garden. Too much trouble.” 

“Perfectly understandable. So, how’s the inside of the house?” 

“Nothin' a liiick of paint and some DIY won’t fix.” 

“Oh, brother.” The professor sighed again. “There’s no mold or damp, is there? They can be extremely bad for your health."

“Nooot a problem. I’ve been payin' for the heating and electricity. In the winter, I make sure to turn the heating on to prevent the pipes from freezin' over.” Cabanela pushed the door open and glanced at the floor. “Oh, here’s the phone bill.” He picked up the envelope. “Come on in.” 

The professor walked past him, glancing at the envelope. “You mean to say you’re paying the phone bill too?” 

“Of cooourse.” Cabanela pushed the door shut. “Why wouldn’t I?” 

“Look, I get paying for the gas and electricity, but the phone bill? Why in the world would you do that?” 

“Well, I guess I just feel obligated to.” Cabanela approached the light switch and flicked it. Light filled the room and the ceiling fan began to turn. He looked around the derelict room, his expression turning sad. It was never easy to see this sorry scene. “If the line was cut off, Jowd would lose the number, wouldn’t he?” 

That really sounded like a weak excuse, the professor thought. Jowd would have bigger things on his mind than a new phone number. Still, he could see Cabanela had his reasons and it didn’t feel right to go trampling on his feelings. 

"I feel like I have to keep things as they were, so that Jowd and his little girl can pick up where they left off, you know? Course, it wouldn't be the same aaanyway." Cabanela hung his head with a sigh. "Alma's not here."

“No, she isn’t,” the professor said softly. Looking at Cabanela filled him with sympathy. Cabanela was so devoted to Jowd, even to the point of paying his bills for him and keeping his house intact, and he was the only one who knew how Cabanela felt. The inspector had been keeping this secret close to his heart. Even Jowd himself had no idea, not having seen Cabanela once in the past five years.

He had asked Cabanela once. If he cared so much, why did he not visit Jowd in prison?

Cabanela had just smiled. “When I prove Jowd innocent, we’ll have aaall the time in the world to be together again.” 

Terribly optimistic of him, he thought. The professor knew damn well Jowd hadn't murdered his wife but proving it wasn't going to be easy. This was the nation's best detective they were talking about, and at this point, they weren't entirely sure who or what the true culprit even was. Even knowing that, Cabanela stuck to his guns, keeping up the facade and focusing on the manipulator case. He was so sure he was going to get Jowd proven innocent. The professor just hoped he would be able to do so. 

“Well then. Let’s have a look.” He pushed his glasses up his nose, looking around the room where Alma had lost her life. The wallpaper was peeling away from the stained and grimy walls. In the center of the room stood a table draped with a tattered cloth, a toppled chair lying next to it. On top of that table sat an old looking cardboard box. He took in all the little details: party poppers lying around, the tilted painting on the wall, the glass matryoshka doll lying on its side while its companions stood upright.

Somewhere in this room was the answer to what had really happened on that day, and the two of them were here to put the clues together and figure out the mystery once and for all. 

"It's tiiime." A smile spread across Cabanela's face. "Time to expose this room's secret and blow this mystery wide open. I'm sure Jowd has done his best to cover it up, but we're gonna figure it aaall out, right, Professor?"

The professor shuffled over to a crate, peering down at the Cupid doll sticking half out. "Let's do our best."


End file.
